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Weird.
I thought Joe Biden was doing a great job at attacking political opponents even before the SCOTUS ruled in favor of the presidential immunity. 
I wanna emphasize now that the US is not just a democracy but an actual republic with certain democratic elements. A classical Greek democracy would allow adult males, age 18 or 20 depending on the sources, to cast their votes and they were supposed to have "direct" influence on a set of situations the polis or Greek city was facing at that time. Even so leaders (archons) and military commanders (strategoi) had room for making their own decisions, at least up to some point. And yes, they could be ostracized as well.
A republic isn't that direct at all. For instance, you got a constitution or basic laws inspired by ancient documents like Roman laws. At least some of those laws are inalienable, valid for everybody even if they would like to relinquish them voluntarily. Thus, we could view a republic as kind of indirect or representative because you need to vote for a group of people that are called to represent you and the system is dependable on a basic framework that is supposed to protect you from basic / common dangers, keeping in mind that it should last for many generations. AFAIK, a democracy only offered the ostracization as an effective control mechanism.
IMHO, a democratic system depends a hell of a lot on a beehive mentality often focused only on the main goals rather than a collective of individuals with the same rights AND duties that must make decisions taking several non-beehive-related factors in consideration. Therefore, a federal republic like the US cannot let the majority pick a president just because. The most populated states are not supposed to stumble upon the others while discussing and approving or disapproving federal bills. Balance is a component badly needed by the republic in the US.
Next time, when a Democrat tells you that anything affecting Trump or the GOP or the conservatives is a threat to the American democracy, think it twice or even thrice. What's more important? The beehive mentality? Or the basic constitutional rights and protections?
If you ever notice you keep picking the beehive-related option, know that you're already under the rule of a monarch (the queen bee) or tyrant.
OK, let's say we could agree on granting some amnesty to Ukrainians that truly need that. Yet, the rest of those countries listed above HAVE to be vetted, twice if possible. The US government doesn't know automatically if they're simple refugees or have been released from prison or are active gangsters or drug dealers. It gotta filter them, like it or not. The problem is that those that have demonstrated to be dangerous criminals can't be deported relying on the usual mechanisms only. What a mess!
So what does the prince know about real sacrifice in the battlefield?
LATIN AMERICA
EUROPE
ASIA
MIDDLE EAST
AUSTRALIA
Democrats on Trump's Immunity
Quote:Democrats implied Monday that former President Donald Trump could pursue his political opponents, legally, if he returns to the White House, following the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity in Trump v. U.S.
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Democratic Party activist and pundit Van Jones warned that the decision granted presidents a “license to thug”:
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As Breitbart News reported, the Court held 6-3 that a president enjoys absolute immunity for official acts, but not for unofficial acts. While it is up to the courts to adjudicate the difference, the Supreme Court said that a president has the right to pre-trial challenges regarding whether any particular acts fall into the “official” or “unofficial” category.
Democrats warned that the “MAGA SCOTUS” had given presidents license to eliminate their political opponents. They appeared to be following the lead of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote in dissent for the Court’s liberals:
The Court effectively creates a law-free zone around the President, upsetting the status quo that has existed since the Founding. This new official-acts immunity now “lies about like a loaded weapon” for any President that wishes to place his own interests, his own political survival, or his own financial gain, above the interests of the Nation. … The President of the United States is the most powerful person in the country, and possibly the world. When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune. Let the President violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. Because if he knew that he may one day face liability for breaking the law, he might not be as bold and fearless as we would like him to be. That is the majority’s message today. Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.
...
In arguing that Trump — or any other president — could pursue his opponents legally, Democrats appeared to concede that Biden had been doing so illegally, at least according to the Supreme Court, which also ruled last week that prosecutors had abused a federal statute to pursue some participants in the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021.
Weird.
I thought Joe Biden was doing a great job at attacking political opponents even before the SCOTUS ruled in favor of the presidential immunity. Barr on Immunity Ruling
Quote:Monday, following the Supreme Court granting current and former presidents limited immunity, former Attorney General Bill Barr reacted to the high court’s rulings over the past week.
On the presidential immunity ruling, the so-called Chevron doctrine and the obstruction statute as it pertained to January 6 protesters, Barr said the Supreme Court was protecting institutions and processes against the “passions of the moment.”
“Well, I think this idea of going after the Supreme [Court] — I think these opinions were bang on,” Barr said. “They were very reasonable opinions. I’m talking about the immunity opinion, the opinion on the Chevron doctrine, cutting that back. Also, the opinion the obstruction statute — making sure that that’s properly employed and isn’t used as a dragnet.”
He continued, “And I think that these were very reasonable opinions that put the law in the right place. And I’m afraid that, this anything goes, let’s do whatever we can to solve the — you know, to address the political imperative at the moment, we’re going to throw the baby out with a bathwater. We’re going to do long-term institutional damage to the United States. And I think the Supreme Court’s doing just the opposite. I think they’re protecting our institutions and the processes we have against being disfigured by the passions of the moment.”
Trump & Judge Merchan
Quote:Former President Donald Trump called for Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw his Manhattan business records trial, to toss his guilty verdict in light of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled on Monday that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for official acts taken while in office, however, they do not have immunity for unofficial acts.
In the Supreme Court’s decision, the court held:
Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.
In a letter addressed to Merchan, Trump’s lawyers “sought permission to file a motion” to overturn the guilty verdict, according to the New York Times. At the end of May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first-degree related to payments made to adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.
Lawyers for the former president have also reportedly asked Merchan to “postpone” Trump’s sentencing, as Merchan takes into consideration if the immunity decision from the Supreme Court has affected Trump’s guilty verdict, according to the outlet.
Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention begins on July 15.
The outlet notes that while the request to have the conviction overturned may be “a long shot,” Trump’s lawyers “are likely to argue that prosecutors built their case partly on evidence from his time in the White House”:
The effort to set aside the conviction might be a long shot. The Manhattan case centers on acts Mr. Trump took as a candidate, not a president.
Yet his lawyers are likely to argue that prosecutors built their case partly on evidence from his time in the White House. And under the Supreme Court’s new ruling, prosecutors not only may not charge a president for any official acts, but also cannot cite evidence involving official acts to bolster other accusations.
AOC Hates SCOTUS
Quote:Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said she plans to file articles of impeachment against unnamed Supreme Court justices following the Court’s ruling on presidential immunity on Monday.
The only justice impeached in American history was Associate Justice Samuel Chase in 1805. The Senate acquitted him.
“The Supreme Court has become consumed by a corruption crisis beyond its control,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on X.
“Today’s ruling represents an assault on American democracy. It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture. I intend on filing articles of impeachment upon our return,” she said, without naming her target.
The Court’s ruling held in a six-to-three decision that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for actions taken in office.
Moving forward, the “case will now be remanded and will likely result in the dismissal of some or all of the charges facing the former president in federal court in Washington, DC, relating to the Capitol riot of January 6,” Breitbart News’s Joel Pollak wrote.
Former President Donald Trump, whom the ruling impacted, celebrated it as a “big win” for democracy. The ruling was the latest good news for Trump and his reelection campaign.
Democrats and the Biden campaign roundly condemned the ruling. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ripped it as a “disgraceful decision by the MAGA SCOTUS,” while Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) accused the Court of going “rogue.”
“Today’s ruling doesn’t change the facts, so let’s be very clear about what happened on January 6: Donald Trump snapped after he lost the 2020 election and encouraged a mob to overthrow the results of a free and fair election,” a senior Biden campaign official said in a statement.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the opinion for the Court’s majority, said:
This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former President be prosecuted for official acts taken during his Presidency? Our Nation has never before needed an answer. But in addressing that question today, unlike the political branches and the public at large, we cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exigencies. In a case like this one, focusing on “transient results” may have profound consequences for the separation of powers and for the future of our Republic.
I wanna emphasize now that the US is not just a democracy but an actual republic with certain democratic elements. A classical Greek democracy would allow adult males, age 18 or 20 depending on the sources, to cast their votes and they were supposed to have "direct" influence on a set of situations the polis or Greek city was facing at that time. Even so leaders (archons) and military commanders (strategoi) had room for making their own decisions, at least up to some point. And yes, they could be ostracized as well.
A republic isn't that direct at all. For instance, you got a constitution or basic laws inspired by ancient documents like Roman laws. At least some of those laws are inalienable, valid for everybody even if they would like to relinquish them voluntarily. Thus, we could view a republic as kind of indirect or representative because you need to vote for a group of people that are called to represent you and the system is dependable on a basic framework that is supposed to protect you from basic / common dangers, keeping in mind that it should last for many generations. AFAIK, a democracy only offered the ostracization as an effective control mechanism.
IMHO, a democratic system depends a hell of a lot on a beehive mentality often focused only on the main goals rather than a collective of individuals with the same rights AND duties that must make decisions taking several non-beehive-related factors in consideration. Therefore, a federal republic like the US cannot let the majority pick a president just because. The most populated states are not supposed to stumble upon the others while discussing and approving or disapproving federal bills. Balance is a component badly needed by the republic in the US.
Next time, when a Democrat tells you that anything affecting Trump or the GOP or the conservatives is a threat to the American democracy, think it twice or even thrice. What's more important? The beehive mentality? Or the basic constitutional rights and protections?
If you ever notice you keep picking the beehive-related option, know that you're already under the rule of a monarch (the queen bee) or tyrant.
Wait! Biden Can Perform Better Next Time... Or Not?
Quote:President Joe Biden spoke from the White House about the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling on Monday but not without committing a gaffe.
The gaffe comes after Biden took an incredible amount of criticism for his gaffe-ridden debate performance on Thursday.
After quoting a Supreme Court justice during his speech, Biden gaffed, “end of quote,” instead of pausing to indicate he finished delivering the quote.
It is not the first time Biden has read the “end of quote” bit off a teleprompter.
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He also refused to take questions from the press as he left the podium.
Biden’s speech about the Court’s ruling came just days after his terrible debate performance. Political experts said the speech was intended to change the media cycle from his debate performance to the Court’s decision.
Biden, however, sparked mockery because he appeared to be wearing makeup that made him look orange, a color associated with former President Donald Trump’s iconic television career.
Justice Thomas on Special Counsel Jack Smith
Quote:Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion to Monday’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity questioning the constitutionality of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment, suggesting not only is the office invalid but Smith cannot legally hold it.
Thomas’s nine-page concurrence suggests that Smith’s appointment is unconstitutional and that lower courts must tackle this issue. He questions whether Smith’s appointment itself violates the Appointments Clause of the Constitution as well as whether “any office for the Special Counsel has been ‘established by Law,’ as the Constitution requires.”
“Those questions must be answered before this prosecution can proceed,” Thomas concludes. “We must respect the Constitution’s separation of powers in all its forms, else we risk rendering its protection of liberty a parchment guarantee.”
The Supreme Court ruled Monday in a 6-3 decision that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for actions taken while in office. That ruling stemmed from Smith’s prosecution of President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, over allegations he interfered in the 2020 election. Smith is also prosecuting Trump in Florida for the retention of classified documents.
Thomas’s legal reasoning could provide a roadmap for Judge Aileen Cannon, who while presiding over Smith’s classified documents case heard arguments in a June 21 hearing that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of Smith as special counsel is unconstitutional. Her ruling could potentially strike a critical blow to Smith’s case in Florida as well as Washington.
At the heart of the hearing was a brief filed by former U.S. Attorneys Ed Meese and Michael Mukasey, Citizens United, and constitutional scholars. The brief claims Garland improperly appointed Smith to an office that does not exist with authority Garland does not possess. Gene Schaerr with the boutique law firm Schaerr Jaffe argued on behalf the group during the June hearing.
Thomas’s concurring opinion first examined whether Smith’s appointment complied with the Appointments Clause. That constitutional provision stipulates that “Officers of the United States” must be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate while also giving Congress the authority to create specific offices.
“By requiring that Congress create federal offices ‘by Law,’ the Constitution imposes an important check against the President—he cannot create offices at his pleasure.” Thomas wrote. “If there is no law establishing the office that the Special Counsel occupies, then he cannot proceed with this prosecution. A private citizen cannot criminally prosecute anyone, let alone a former President.”
Thomas noted that Congress previously established an office similar to a special counsel called an “independent counsel,” but that statute expired in 1999. Congress – which created the Department of Justice – has authorized officers with authority and powers similar to those Garland granted Smith, but those officers require presidential appointment and senatorial confirmation.
Given those restrictions, special counsels are generally detailed from the pool of federal prosecutors, which have already received Senate confirmation. Yet Garland hired Smith as a private citizen, granting him the powers of a Constitution officer despite Smith being no more than an employee of Garland.
“If this unprecedented prosecution is to proceed, it must be conducted by someone duly authorized to do so by the American people,” Thomas said, noting no former president has ever faced criminal prosecution.
Haitian Immigrants
Quote:President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended and redesignated a temporary amnesty program to more than 300,000 Haitian nationals living in the United States, ensuring they are not eligible for deportation and can hold American jobs.
Late last week, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the extension and redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 309,000 Haitian nationals living in the U.S. who would otherwise be eligible for deportation.
The announcement shows that again, Biden’s DHS is looking to massively expand TPS. Previously just about 165,000 Haitians were eligible for the program.
With the latest extension and redesignation, nearly double the amount of Haitian nationals will be eligible to remain in the U.S. and hold American jobs through February 2026 as long as they claim that they were in the country as of June 3, 2024.
“We are providing this humanitarian relief to Haitians already present in the United States given the conditions that existed in their home country as of June 3, 2024,” Mayorkas said in a statement. “In doing so, we are realizing the core objective of the TPS law and our obligation to fulfill it.”
TPS was first created under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990 (INA) and prevents federal immigration officials from deporting people from countries that are designated as experiencing famine, war, or natural disasters.
Since the Clinton administration, TPS has been transformed into a de facto amnesty program as the Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and now Biden administrations have continuously renewed the program for a variety of countries.
Today, nearly 900,000 foreign nationals in the U.S. are shielded from deportation after having secured TPS. The vast majority are from Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, and Ukraine.
OK, let's say we could agree on granting some amnesty to Ukrainians that truly need that. Yet, the rest of those countries listed above HAVE to be vetted, twice if possible. The US government doesn't know automatically if they're simple refugees or have been released from prison or are active gangsters or drug dealers. It gotta filter them, like it or not. The problem is that those that have demonstrated to be dangerous criminals can't be deported relying on the usual mechanisms only.
What a mess! Weapons Cache Seized at Southern Border
Quote:U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a large cache of weapons at the Progresso International Bridge. The weapons were found in a vehicle in the southbound lane of the bridge that connects Texas and Mexico.
CBP Office of Field Operations officers working the Progresso International Bridge on Wednesday selected a vehicle in the outbound lanes for secondary inspection, according to a statement from CBP officials. With the use of CBP K-9 teams and non-intrusive inspection systems, the officers found a large cache of weapons, magazines, and ammunition likely bound for cartels in Mexico.
...
The officers seized 67 rifles, handguns, and shotguns, along with 69 magazines and 33 rounds of ammunition hidden inside the vehicle.
“Our frontline officers continue to exercise resolute vigilance and through an effective combination of training, inspections experience and technology they interdicted a significant load of undeclared weapons,” Port Director Walter Weaver, Progreso/Donna Port of Entry said in a written statement. “These types of seizures perfectly exemplify and illustrate CBP’s ongoing commitment to helping secure our shared border with Mexico.”
Officers turned over the weapons and suspects to ICE Homeland Security Investigations for criminal investigation.
Deported Under Trump? Don't Worry!
Quote:President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly flying illegal aliens, deported by former President Donald Trump’s administration, back into the United States.
Biden’s DHS is carrying out the little-known program, according to the Washington Free Beacon, where illegal aliens from Cameroon who were deported by the Trump administration are now being flown back into the United States despite having been found to have invalid asylum claims.
The Free Beacon‘s Joseph Simonson reports:
The Biden administration is flying previously deported Cameroonians whose asylum claims were determined to be invalid back into the United States, according to interviews with Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff and internal agency memos reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. [Emphasis added]
The program, which has not been announced to the public, appears to be a response to a February 2022 Human Rights Watch report about dozens of Cameroonians deported between 2019 and 2021 and then allegedly mistreated by their government. An estimated 80 to 90 Cameroonians were deported during that period of time. [Emphasis added]
But now some are arriving back in the United States under a program with little precedent, both current and former ICE officials say. All of the individuals deported under the previous administration were found not to have valid asylum claims in the United States. [Emphasis added]
Though such a program is unusual, it is not unprecedented for Biden’s DHS.
In December 2021, as Breitbart News reported, DHS flew two illegal aliens from Haiti back to the United States to reevaluate their asylum claims after they had been deported under the Trump administration.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has, on several occasions, said “equity” and “justice” for migrants are at the center of the agency’s mission.
Blinken on Israel
Quote:Israel has lost effective sovereignty in the northern part of the country, thanks to constant Hezbollah projectile fire that has led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.
The Times of Israel reported:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that Israel “has effectively lost sovereignty in the northern quadrant of its country because people don’t feel safe to go to their homes.”
In an on-stage interview at the Brookings Institution, Blinken reiterates his belief that Israel does not want a war in Lebanon, but admits that “they may well be prepared to engage in one if necessary — from their perspective — to protect their interests.”
He says that Hezbollah does not actually want a war, that Lebanon does not want one either because it would be the primary victim; and that Iran does not want a war because it would prefer to save Hezbollah for a scenario in which it has a direct conflict with Israel.
The Biden administration’s attempts to mediate have reportedly included proposals that would require Israel to withdraw from the strategic Har Dov region, part of which is within Israeli territory and which allows a commanding perspective on Israel’s entire northern region.
Hezbollah recently placed tents in the Har Dov region in an attempt to encroach on the territory and to push Israel back from defending its own border region.
Ironically, Hezbollah maintains a presence in the area in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1707 of 2006, which bars the Iranian-backed group from occupying Lebanon south of the Litani River, several kilometers north.
Pat Tillman Award Goes to... Prince Harry!?
Quote:In a matter of days, Prince Harry will be presented with an award named in honor of a fallen soldier and promising NFL player.
If you are confused, you are not alone.
On Thursday, ESPN announced that the royal would be this year's recipient of the esteemed Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPY Awards, a decision that Tillman's own mother finds stunning.
"I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award," Mary "Dannie" Tillman told The DailyMail. "There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans."
"These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized," she said.
The Pat Tillman Foundation - which Mary is not associated with - has been selecting recipients since the award was established in 2014. Mary has never been consulted or privy to recipients in the past.
Harry, who served in the British army for 10 years, is being recognized for his work with the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded service men and women. He launched the international event in 2014, one year before stepping down from active duty.
So what does the prince know about real sacrifice in the battlefield?
LATIN AMERICA
Mexican Authorities on Immigration
Quote:Federal immigration authorities in Mexico discovered 63 migrants concealed inside a tractor-trailer at a military checkpoint just 30 miles from El Paso, Texas. The migrants were discovered on Friday during joint enforcement operations involving the military and Mexico’s National Institute of Migration (INM).
According to INM, the migrants were being transported in dangerously cramped, high-temperature conditions. Three unaccompanied migrants were among the group discovered in the tractor-trailer. Most of the migrants were citizens of several South and Central American countries. According to INM, 18 migrants were citizens of Guatemala, 23 were citizens of Ecuador, six were from El Salvador, five were from Honduras, and two were from the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic.
No information was released concerning the arrest or charges facing the vehicle driver involved in Friday’s event. Single adult migrants were transported to migrant facilities for processing. According to INM, the unaccompanied migrant children were taken to a shelter specifically for migrant children.
The military checkpoint in Sumalayuca is the last checkpoint travelers pass through on Mexico’s Highway 45 before reaching the border city of Juarez, Chihuahua. The checkpoint is in the arid sand dunes of the Chihuahuan desert and is an obstacle that migrants must walk around to avoid detection or hope to pass through while concealed within vehicles. In recent weeks, attempts to walk around have proved deadly.
In early June, an El Salvador migrant perished while attempting to avoid detection by INM Officers posted at the checkpoint. The woman, according to a report in Mexico, was accompanied by two cousins who reported the death using Mexico’s 911 system. Officers were dispatched from the checkpoint and discovered the lifeless migrant who had succumbed to the harsh temperatures in the region, which can reach more than 100 degrees during the summer months.
Evo Morales on Failed Coup
Quote:Bolivia’s socialist former President Evo Morales accused his former protegé and fellow socialist President Luis Arce on Sunday of staging last week’s failed coup d’etat against himself.
Morales, who publicly denounced the failed coup and expressed support for Arce, made the accusations on Sunday in the latest broadcast of his weekly radio show Kawsachun Coca, claiming that Arce “lied and deceived the whole world” with a “self-coup.”
The statements mark the latest chapter in a growing schism between Morales and Arce that has taken over their political party, the ruling Movement Towards Socialism Party (MAS), and is fueled by Morales’s repeated attempts to return to power for an unconstitutional fifth term.
On June 26, a group of Bolivian soldiers led by now-former Army Commander Juan José Zúñiga broke into the premises of La Paz’s Plaza Murillo, located in front of the presidential palace. Arce, other regional leaders, and international organizations denounced the incident as a coup attempt against the socialist government. Zúñiga maintained control of the plaza for roughly three hours before standing down and being arrested in the late hours of Wednesday evening.
Bolivian authorities placed Zúñiga in a six-month pre-trial detention period and charged him with terrorism and armed uprising. Shortly before his arrest on Wednesday evening, Zúñiga claimed to reporters that Arce “was aware” of the coup attempt and that the Bolivian president had instructed him to take out “armored vehicles” to “raise” his popularity. Bolivian government officials denied the “self-coup” allegations on Thursday morning.
Morales, on his Sunday radio show, claimed that, while he initially “thought” that last Wednesday’s events were a coup, he now finds himself “confused” and now thinks the incidents “seem like a self-coup.” The Bolivian socialist leader stated that he received unspecified reports from “military patriots” that changed his mind.
The socialist former president also stated that the solidarity he expressed to Arce in a telephone call amidst Wednesday’s events was a “lie” and claimed that Zúñiga will be set free in “six months.”
“Before his [Zúñiga’s] arrest he informed his comrades and relatives that Lucho [Arce] betrayed him, he just confirmed it. In [Bolivian Police] cells, General Zúñiga said, ‘Lucho has betrayed me,’ he repeated that,” Morales said. “These new elements convince me that it is a self-coup, or finally that Lucho has planned well to use the Army, to do so much damage to the Army, to victimize himself with crocodile tears with such a lie.”
“I want to take this opportunity to say to the whole world – to apologize. Unfortunately, Lucho lied, deceived the Bolivian people and the whole world with this coup or self-coup,” he continued.
EUROPE
Archbishop Viganò on the Vatican
Quote:Former Vatican emissary Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano has refused to obey a summons to the Vatican to face charges of schism, restating he does not recognize Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic Church.
“As I stated in my Communiqué of June 20, I do not recognize the authority of the tribunal that claims to judge me, nor of its Prefect, nor of the one who appointed him,” Archbishop Viganò said in a statement.
“This decision of mine, which is certainly painful, is not the result of haste or a spirit of rebellion; but rather is dictated by the moral necessity which, as Bishop and Successor of the Apostles, obliges me in conscience to bear witness to the Truth, that is, to God Himself, to Our Lord Jesus Christ,” he declared.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Viganò as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States in 2011 and the archbishop served in this role for five years, from 2011 to 2016.
Viganò became something of a conservative superstar in 2018, when he published an explosive report accusing Pope Francis of reinstating homosexual abuser Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to a position of prominence despite knowing of McCarrick’s serial abuse.
In his 11-page affidavit, Archbishop Viganò asserted that Pope Benedict had imposed “canonical sanctions” on Cardinal McCarrick in 2009-2010 forbidding him from traveling, celebrating Mass in public, or participating in public meetings, but that Pope Francis later lifted these sanctions and made McCarrick a close personal advisor.
“Francis is abdicating the mandate which Christ gave to Peter to confirm the brethren. Indeed, by his action he has divided them, led them into error, and encouraged the wolves to continue to tear apart the sheep of Christ’s flock,” Viganò stated, before calling on the pope to resign.
“In this extremely dramatic moment for the universal Church, he must acknowledge his mistakes and, in keeping with the proclaimed principle of zero tolerance, Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them,” the archbishop said.
Over the intervening years, Viganò has continued making ever more incendiary claims, leading many of his former admirers to part ways with him. He has not only rejected the authority of Pope Francis, but has also refused to accept the validity of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), an important ecumenical council highly commended by Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
In June, the Vatican’s doctrinal office, headed by Argentinean Cardinal Víctor “Tucho” Fernández, ordered the former Vatican diplomat to appear in Rome to undergo an extrajudicial penal trial for the crime of schism for having denied the legitimacy of Pope Francis and Vatican II.
France: Elections & Protests
Quote:Thousands turned out to protest the outcome of the first round of the French parliamentary elections on Sunday night, objecting to the French people having voted in greater numbers for Le Pen’s populists than the pan-left bloc.
France-wide election results trickled in overnight for the first round of the Parliamentary selection, largely confirming the exit polls published Sunday night and the opinion polling in the days running up to the vote. Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) is the largest party with 33.15 per cent of votes cast on the highest turnout for a French election in decades. The New Popular Front, a new pan-left alliance put together for this vote got 27.99 per cent and globalist-managerialist President Emmanuel Macron’s faction came in third with just 20.76 per cent.
The French people may have spoken at the ballot box, but the result clearly left some feeling very upset. Protests erupted in several French cities overnight, most particularly in Paris, where thousands gathered. The New Popular Front, which represents a spectrum of left wing parties from the pro-European Union centrists to full-blooded communists has earlier threatened they would “resist” the result if the RN won, and the protests may be the firs throes of that, although given there is a week to run until the second round of the election actually allocates the majority of the seats and decides whether Le Pen’s RN can command a majority in the house or not, perhaps expect more violence next week.
Le Soir notes the Monument to the Republic, a large limestone and bronze statue in the centre of Paris extolling the virtues of the nation and including a giant lion guarding a ballot box, was covered in graffiti by anti-right-wing protesters who scaled the stones and unfurled banners. The paper further relates that in the city of Lyon, police clashed with protesters who set off an explosive at a branch of American fast food chain McDonald’s and that missiles were exchanged between protesters and police in Nantes.
TF1 cited police sources who said there were 800 on the “against the far right” protest, who manifested as “a hostile group composed of hooded and masked individuals [which] was interrupted by the police in its attempt to enter the town hall of the 1st arrondissement of Lyon”.
ASIA
Chinese Rocket Crashes
Quote:A rocket belonging to a Chinese civilian aerospace manufacturer crashed into a mountain after accidentally launching Sunday, the company announced.
Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, was attempting a ground test with their Tianlong-3 rocket when a “structural failure” caused it to separate from the launch pad, a statement obtained by CNN said.
“Due to the structural failure of the connection between the rocket body and the test platform, the first-stage rocket was separated from the launch pad,” the company stated.
“After liftoff, the onboard computer was automatically shut down, and the rocket fell into the deep mountains 1.5 kilometers [0.9 miles] southwest of the test platform. The rocket body fell into the mountain and disintegrated.”
Videos shared on social media by onlookers shows the moment the rocket was launched before falling and causing a fiery explosion:
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No injuries were reported as a result of the crash.
CNN described Space Pioneer as a “leading company” in the commercial rocket industry, as they work to develop reusable orbital rocket technology
The company successfully launched its Tianlong-2 rocket — China’s first liquid carrier rocket launched by a commercial operator — in April 2023, according to the Chinese government.
The rocket that disintegrated on Sunday was reportedly built in order to help build the country’s satellite internet network.
Chinese Real State
Quote:Courts in Hong Kong heard four liquidation suits against Chinese developers from their frustrated creditors last week, a record number of cases to hit the courts at the same time.
The liquidation surge spells more trouble for the Chinese real estate market, which has been tottering on the verge of collapse for years.
The four developers hauled into court last week were Kaisa Group Holdings, Shimao Group Holdings, Redsun Properties, and DaFa properties.
All four were granted temporary reprieves from liquidation, but the longest grace period the courts extended was seven weeks. Kaisa Holdings was bluntly told there would be “no excuse” for giving it another extension. Court observers noted that the restructuring terms are getting worse with every extension.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) noted on Monday that several other Chinese developers are facing their own impending hearings or have already been ordered to liquidate their assets to repay creditors, including at least one state-supported enterprise.
Glen Ho, a specialist at the international auditing and consulting firm Deloitte, anticipated “a second wave of restructurings from 2025 onwards” because there will probably be “no significant improvement in sales or the confidence of home buyers.”
Talibans on UN Meeting
Quote:Members of the Taliban terrorist organization concluded their participation on Monday in a U.N.-led international meeting on the future of Afghanistan, thanking organizers for including them and specifically expressing praise for the government of U.S. President Joe Biden [f]or the engagement.
Doha, Qatar, hosted a two-day summit for a variety of representatives of international governments on Sunday and Monday, informally known as the “Doha talks,” led by U.N. Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. Despite her leadership, the Taliban excluded Afghan women from participating, outraging international human rights groups and complicating discussions with Western countries present.
The head of the Taliban del[e]gation, top spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, acknowledged the global disgust with the Taliban’s flagrant abuse of women in his remarks to the summit, but described it as a diplomatic obligation for other countries to ignore the Taliban’s flagrant human rights abuses.
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This week’s meeting was the third iteration of the “Doha talks” but the first in which the Taliban participated, as the jihadist terrorists attempted to impose unreasonable demands on the United Nations for their participation in the past two engagements.
The Taliban, which now calls itself the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” has been the uncontested government of Afghanistan since August 15, 2021, when the terrorists stormed Kabul and the U.S.-backed government there fled without a fight. President Biden’s decision to violate an agreement brokered with the Taliban and former Afghan government by his predecessor, Donald Trump, in early 2021 prompted the terrorists to launch a territorial conquest campaign that resulted in the fall of Kabul.
Mujahid’s publicly released remarks to the meeting on Sunday emphasized the Taliban’s alleged support for “positive engagement” with the world and demanded that relevant parties lift sanctions on his terrorist organization to allow Afghanistan to enrich itself.
MIDDLE EAST
Turkey: Israel's Selfish Neighbor
Quote:Israel’s flag carrier El Al said on Monday that a flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency landing in Antalya, Turkey, on Sunday.
Due to strained relations between Turkey and Israel, Turkish airport crew members refused to refuel the plane or allow anyone except the passenger who needed medical assistance to leave the aircraft.
El Al Flight LY5102 was about three hours into its journey from Warsaw, Poland, to Tel Aviv, Israel, when it declared an in-flight emergency. The plane landed at Antalya Airport on the advice of a doctor who was treating the stricken passenger.
The plane remained on the ground for several hours while the sick passenger was evacuated to a hospital, during which time none of the other passengers were allowed to leave. The plane kept its engines running the entire time to provide power and air conditioning, which substantially depleted its fuel reserves.
According to El Al, Turkish airport workers “refused to refuel the company’s plane, even though it was a medical case.” Once the medical emergency had been handled, the plane made a 40-minute flight to Rhodes, Greece, so it could land again and refuel then continue to Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv later on Sunday.
Turkish officials disputed this account, claiming it was the El Al captain’s decision to refuse fuel at Antalya Airport.
“Fuel was to be provided to the plane due to humanitarian considerations, but as the relevant procedure was about to be completed, the captain decided to leave of his own accord,” a Turkish diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday.
Israeli state TV station KAN disputed the Turkish diplomat’s claims, insisting that the flight crew was originally told it would be allowed to deplane and refuel, but Turkish officials then retracted their permission to do both, supposedly because “permits” were needed to fuel the aircraft.
Neither Turkish nor El Al officials have disclosed details about the passenger’s ailment, health status, or current location.
Turkey was a popular tourist destination for Israelis before the Gaza war, and there used to be a number of direct flights available between Tel Aviv and Istanbul every day. Istanbul was also a convenient hub for Israeli flights to other parts of the world.
Those flights were canceled after Hamas attacked Israeli civilians on October 7, and the administration of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which openly supports Hamas, became harshly critical of the Israeli response. Turkish Airlines said in April that it will not resume flights to Israel until March 2025 at the earliest.
Arab League: Hezbollah No Longer Considered Terrorists
Quote:The Arab League announced on Sunday that it no longer considers Lebanese Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization, even though Hezbollah has been showering Israeli civilians with rockets for months to support the Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
“In earlier Arab League decisions, Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist organization. This terminology was reflected in our resolutions and led to the severing of our communication with them. Member states of the Arab League have now agreed that this approach no longer applies,” explained Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki.
Zaki pointed out that the Arab League does not maintain a formal list of terrorist organizations and feels no need to create one.
The Times of Israel (TOI) confirmed that Hezbollah was the only terrorist group so designated by the Arab League until now. The League apparently applied this designation on an ad hoc basis in 2016 after the influential Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) branded Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
The GCC made that decision in March 2016 after accusing Hezbollah of causing “incitement in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.” Hezbollah sent fighters to help keep Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in power, while the GCC mostly supported rebel groups.
The GCC countries, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), were also concerned about Hezbollah’s “stranglehold” on Lebanese politics – an entirely reasonable concern, given the state of Lebanon both then and now – and by Iran’s support for the Lebanese terrorist group.
The Arab League slapped Hezbollah with its terrorist designation ten days later, citing “provocative statements by Iranian officials against Arab countries” and Iran’s use of groups like Hezbollah to conduct “flagrant interference” in the affairs of other states.
“Hezbollah’s terrorist practices and its intervention in Syria on the side of the Assad regime have further destabilized the region and fueled the sectarian strife. Hezbollah is a key partner for the Assad regime in the killing of more than 300,000 civilians in Syria,” a member of the Arab League’s political committee said in March 2016.
Israel Will Regret This Release Later On
Quote:Israel is in a political uproar on Monday after authorities released Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which Hamas and other terror groups used as a base, including for smuggling or killing hostages.
Abu Salmiya was released after seven months in detention without charge.
Many Israelis believe he is responsible for the terror at the hospital; Palestinians saw his release as a sign of his innocence, and unfair treatment of detainees.
The Jerusalem Post reported:
The Shin Bet and the IDF have released 50 Gaza detainees, including the director of Shifa Hospital Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who has been in administrative detention in Israel since November 23.
Although Hamas was using Shifa Hospital as a terror base and to conceal hostages, there was never any concrete proof publicly produced that Abu Salmiya was directly involved in this.
Back in November, a senior IDF source told The Jerusalem Post that Abu Salmiya had given suspicious answers when questioned about what he knew about Hamas’s systematic usage of his hospital, but suspicious answers without evidence cannot usually be used to hold someone in administrative detention for more than seven months.
It is entirely possible the release was a legal necessity, if there was no evidence specifically pointing to Abu Samiya.
The release prompted a round of finger-pointing among members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, who attempted to blame each other for releasing Abu Salmiya — at least without Israeli hostages also being released.
IDF Destroy Large Tunnel
Quote:The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed Monday that soldiers had discovered and destroyed a large tunnel underneath central Gaza, one kilometer long, that had been used to transport terrorists and weapons in a key strategic area.
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In a statement, the IDF said:
The 99th Division, the only reserve division operating in the Gaza Strip, has been fighting for the past few months in the area of the central Gaza Strip. The soldiers have eliminated approximately 100 terrorists and destroyed more than 100 terrorist structures, weapons storage facilities, observation posts, launch pits and underground tunnel routes.
In cooperation with the Yahalom Unit, the troops destroyed a terrorist tunnel one kilometer in length. The tunnel included branches which were used by terrorists to move between different locations underground. In addition, the troops operated against a booby-trapped mosque that was used as a hideout for terrorists in the area. Secondary explosions were detected after the strike, indicating the presence of large quantities of weapons stored at the site.
The tunnel apparently passed underneath the Netzarim Corridor, a swath of central Gaza that is one of the only pieces of territory still actively controlled by IDF forces.
The IDF also found and destroyed the largest Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket production facility found thus far, according to the Times of Israel.
Iran on Israel & Lebanon
Quote:Iran warned of an “obliterating war” if Israel launches a full-scale attack on Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror group in southern Lebanon.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations wrote in a post on X that if Israel embarked “on full-scale military aggression,” to “attack Lebanon,” there would be an “obliterating war.” Iran’s warning comes as several countries such as the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada have issued warnings for their citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon.
“Albeit Iran deems as psychological warfare the Zionist regime’s propaganda about intending to attack Lebanon, should it embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue,” the Iranian mission to the U.N. wrote. “All options, incl. the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table.”
The Times of Israel reported that Iran issued the warning “after the Israel Defense Forces attacked several Hezbollah positions”:
The warning came after the Israel Defense Forces attacked several Hezbollah positions, in response to the Iran-backed terror group’s latest barrage on northern Israel hours earlier, amid escalating tensions on the Lebanese border.
On Thursday, Hezbollah fired rockets at an Israeli military base, after Israel had launched strikes on Nabatieh, a city in Lebanon, and the town of Sohmor.
AUSTRALIA
Foreign Students
Quote:Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil announced on Monday that visa fees for international students have been more than doubled – a transparent, if not explicit, attempt to clamp down on heavy migration, especially from China.
Effective on Monday, Australia’s student visa fee rose from $710 in Australian dollars (about $472 U.S.) to a whopping $1,600 (about $1,068 U.S.). The country also implemented a new rule preventing people with temporary visitor or graduate visas from applying for a student visa while still in Australia.
The U.S. student visa fee is currently $110. The total package price for application and fees works out to about $764 in the United States, $930 in the United Kingdom, and just $164 in Canada.
“The changes coming into force today will help restore integrity to our international education system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller and better able to deliver for Australia,” O’Neil said.
Australian officials said the increased revenues from the higher fees would be spent on migration and education initiatives, such as increased vocational training.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) described Australia’s student visa clampdown as “the latest move by the government to rein in record migration that has intensified pressure on an already tight housing market.”
Migration rose to record levels after Australia lifted its coronavirus restrictions, surging by 60 percent in the past year alone. A great deal of that immigration surge was caused by Chinese students pouring into Australian universities, as an Education Ministry report released in February made clear.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
